Village looks forward, back

Antique tractors looked right at home Sunday as they sat outside the historic Vehe barn in Deer Park, which dates back to the Civil War.

Families examined the vintage farm equipment before hopping aboard the tractor-driven wagon rides and checking out the free pony rides and petting zoo. They also walked inside the three-story barn itself, for a tour of its restoration.

All afternoon, the 14-acre centennial farm buzzed with activity, as village officials combined the village's 50th anniversary of incorporation with the dedication of its restored Vehe barn.

"It looks beautiful," said Loretta Peterson of Lake Zurich. "I'm in favor of anything that preserves our heritage and history as it was."

Members of the Vehe Farm Foundation led tours of the barn, which dates back to 1866, when John L. Vehe, his wife, Anna, and their five sons purchased the acreage. Vehe family members farmed the land until the village purchased it in 1999.

Volunteers pointed out the museum space on the barn's lower level, as well as the main level with its raised stage available for weddings and other functions -- including village board meetings -- and its balcony looking down.

Visitors noted the barn's original rough hewn cedar timbers and its post and beam framing, all preserved and visible from inside the main level. Even the ladders to the hayloft remain, as well as the farm's original pulley and track.

Several Vehe descendants were on hand for the dedication. Harold Vehe, a grandson of Charles Vehe, one of the original five sons, remembers playing in the barn and vividly recalls the cows in the lower level.

"They've done a tremendous job of preserving (the barn) and making it into something useful," said Harold Vehe, of Bristol, South Dakota.

Many of the visitors Sunday conceded it was their first time seeing the farm and venturing beyond Deer Park Town Center into the village's residential area.

Lisa Klujewski of Palatine joined her sister, Laura LaDuke of Hoffman Estates, and mother, Jean Christian, also of Hoffman Estates, as well as their young daughters, to visit the farm property.

"We never knew this was here," Klujewski said.

Village President Scott Gifford mingled with families as they toured the farm. He said the preservation of the farm offered a unique gathering spot for local residents, and the Northwest suburbs.

"First of all, it gives us a permanent village hall and place to hold our meetings," Gifford said. "But it's a multi-functional facility that gives us all a sense of community."

Gifford added that the small village represents a dichotomy of sorts, as it is home to one of the area's premier shopping centers, Deer Park Town Center, and now a has a 19th century farm for its municipal complex.

"We're able to commingle one of the greatest, state-of-the-art shopping centers," Gifford said, "with preserving a piece of the past, and something from the founders of our village."